TO DIE FOR (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Book 8), Page 2

  “That’s it,” the female EMT said. “Push, Amy. Push.”

  Amy did, and I watched as the head came first, and then a few seconds later, the EMT was able to pull the baby out with the joyful squeal: “It’s a boy!”

  That’s when I broke down in tears for the second time today. The miracle of birth was unlike anything in this world.

  “Can I see him?” Amy said, sobbing with happiness. The EMT handed him to her, and her body trembled as she looked down at his beautiful, wrinkled face. Now, we were all crying, even Christine, who simply couldn’t hold it back. I grabbed her and hugged her tightly while we cried together, Christine still holding Amy’s hand in hers.

  “He’s so beautiful,” Amy said. “He’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”

  “He sure is,” I said.

  “But now, we need to get you both to the hospital,” the EMT said.

  Amy’s eyes grew wide and big. “But…I don’t…I don’t have any insurance.”

  “What about your parents?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “They won’t…they threw me out.”

  That brought a different type of tears to my eyes. I grabbed her by the shoulders and made sure she looked at me while I spoke, “I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry, sweetie. You’re not alone. We’ve got you.”

  Chapter 3

  He saw them from the car as they arrived. He held his breath as they passed him on his street, hurrying toward his townhouse at the end of the cul-de-sac. He watched in the rearview mirror as the three police cruisers parked in his driveway, and seconds later, three officers stormed up on his porch.

  Luckily, Scott had a feeling they were coming. He got into his car, then drove down to the end of the road just as they turned the corner of his street. Now, he was at the end of the street; he then took a quick right turn before stepping on it, accelerating down the main road, hoping and praying they didn’t have any of their colleagues on traffic patrol nearby.

  Scott felt the sweat tickle his upper lip and wiped it off. This had been a little too close for comfort. He wondered where he could go as he reached the city limits and sped up.

  Heart in his throat, he took off toward a friend’s house, then walked up and knocked on the door. Aiden opened the door, then shook his head at him.

  “What are you doing here, Scott?” he asked, closing the door behind him and walking out on the porch. His voice was almost a whisper. “You shouldn’t be here. Lisa will kill me if she finds out you’re here.”

  “I didn’t know where else to go,” Scott said, keeping his voice low. “The police came to my house. I barely made it out.”

  “They’re looking for you everywhere. They even came here and asked all these questions about you and your relationship with Sarah. It got Lisa all worked up. I always knew there was something bad about him, Aiden. Scott has always given me these bad vibes; she kept saying to me. She made me promise that I’d never see you again. You know they think you might have killed Sarah, right?”

  Scott swallowed. He suddenly felt so weary.

  “I just need somewhere to crash for the night. I’ll be gone in the morning. I can sleep in the garage on that old couch you keep in there. You won’t even know I’m there.”

  Aiden gave him a look, then ran a hand frantically through his hair. “You know I would…if it wasn’t for Lisa. I…I’m sorry, old friend. I can’t…she’ll kill me, or even worse, leave me.”

  Scott stared at Aiden. They had known each other since college. Was it really so easy to throw away a friendship like this?

  “I didn’t do it,” Scott said. “You have to believe me.”

  Aiden hesitated. The pause was a little too long for comfort and told Scott exactly how he felt.

  “You gotta be kidding me,” Scott said and took a step back. “You don’t even believe me, do you?”

  Aiden threw out his arms resignedly. “I…I don’t know what to think, to be honest, Scott. I’m trying to stay out of it and not pick a side here.”

  Scott nodded and clicked his tongue. “Well, I guess you just did anyway. It’s good to know who your real friends are.”

  He turned around and walked down the steps to the front yard toward the car. Aiden yelled after him, “Scott, don’t be like that…”

  Scott didn’t pay any more attention to his old friend. He backed out of the driveway, then grabbed his phone as he drove down the street and called his parents.

  “You know, Scott, we would have you any time, but tonight is not a good night,” his dad said when he asked if he could crash in their guest room. “Your mom isn’t feeling well, and you know how she gets.”

  Scott sighed deeply and guessed that the police had been at their door as well, then he hung up. He drove out I95 and went north; when he saw the exit sign to Cocoa Beach, he made a sharp turn, driving onto the ramp.

  Chapter 4

  I stayed with Christine at the hospital to make sure Amy and the baby were both okay. She was smiling, but I believed I saw a deep hurt underneath. I grabbed my phone and called her parents. I had known Phil and Kim Robinson for some time now since our daughters were good friends. They seemed like good people to me. They needed to know that they were now grandparents. Seeing that adorable little baby would have to make them feel differently about the situation.

  Who wouldn’t go completely soft when seeing him?

  No one picked up, and I tried again but still got only Kim’s voice mail. I decided not to leave a message since something like this had to be handled delicately.

  It was best if it was delivered in person.

  I walked back into the room, then kissed Amy on the forehead. “I have to get back to Angel, but Christine will stay here, right, sweetie?”

  Christine nodded. “I’ll stay. I’m not going anywhere.”

  I smiled, feeling proud of my daughter and her compassion for her friend. I wasn’t angry anymore that she had kept it a secret. I now realized she was just doing what she believed was best for her friend and because this was how Amy wanted it. They were teenagers. They didn’t think of consequences.

  “All right. See you in a few hours, then,” I said. “Call or text if you need me.”

  Christine hugged me. “Thank you, Mom.”

  I closed my eyes and enjoyed her embrace. At that age, you never knew when you’d get one again. “You’re welcome, sweetie. We all need to take care of one another.”

  I hurried to the elevator and into the parking lot. I got into my car, then drove down A1A, wondering about poor Amy and what her future would be. Surely, her parents would want to help her out the best they could. That was what we were there for, right? If it were me, I’d take the kid in and have her drop out of school, then retake this year next year while I cared for the child. Of course, not all parents had the privilege of working from home as I did, but I knew that Kim didn’t work outside the home. Phil was the bread earner, and Kim had devoted her life to taking care of Amy, driving her to soccer, and making sure the snacks they brought were gluten-free. I knew it wasn’t easy for her, but at some point, she’d have to accept that it happened and step up to help.

  Right?

  I parked in front of their two-story luxury house with river views from all sides, then got out. I hurried to the door with the palm trees carved into the glass and rang the doorbell.

  It took a while for Kim to answer.

  “Eva Rae?” she said with a stiff smile.

  “I tried to call. Amy went into labor.”

  Kim shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “She had the baby, Kim. She’s in the hospital.”

  Kim’s eyes met mine, and I could see the terror in them. Her nostrils were flaring lightly as she was searching for what to say to me.

  “It’s a boy,” I added. “A healthy baby boy. Your grandson.”

  Kim was just standing there in her purple and gray yoga outfit. She lifted her nose toward the sky and spoke in almost a whisper
, “Please. Just leave.”

  “Kim,” I said. I felt urgent desperation as it rushed through my veins. This couldn’t be right. She couldn’t have heard me right. “It’s your daughter. She had a child. She needs her parents more than anything right now.”

  “I don’t have a daughter anymore. Just leave. Please.”

  And just like that, she slammed the door shut in my face. I stood back, staring at the palm trees cut into it, suppressing my desire to kick down the door, grab her by the neck, and drag her with me to the hospital, or at least shake some sense into her.

  How could anyone be this cruel?

  I knew the feeling of rejection a little too well from my own mother when I was Amy’s age, and I think that is why it angered me so much and why I made the decision I did.

  Chapter 5

  Then:

  “You’re alone today?”

  Lynn looked at Jeffrey questioningly. He sat down on the couch, his hands folded in his lap. He seemed like a completely changed man, so different from the cocky guy with the handsome smirk she had gotten used to. He was still in an expensive suit, but it couldn’t hide the fact that he seemed like a broken man. Lynn felt worried and sat up straight in her chair.

  “Where is Joanna?”

  His eyes didn’t meet hers yet. They stared at his shoes, and his fingers fiddled with the edge of his suit jacket.

  “Jeffrey?”

  Finally, he lifted his gaze and looked into her eyes. Her heart sank when seeing the hurt in them.

  “What happened? Can you tell me about it? Take your time if you have to. Settle down.”

  He sighed and fought his tears. The sight made Lynn feel so incredibly worried for him. This was a completely different Jeffrey than she had ever seen during their sessions. And if she was honest with herself, it woke some strong maternal feelings inside her. She felt an urge to protect him, to care for him.

  “She left me,” he said with a sniffle. “I’m sorry.”

  He reached for the box of Kleenex on the small table between them, then used one to wipe his eyes.

  “Why do you say you’re sorry?” Lynn asked.

  He scoffed. “You must think I’m a total mess. It’s not like I’m the first guy to be dumped in the world, right?”

  Lynn couldn’t take her eyes off of Jeffrey. Somehow, seeing his vulnerability had triggered something inside her, something profound that she struggled to understand. Gone was the alpha-male, the grin, and the constant flirt, but it didn’t make him less attractive. Not by any means.

  “You’re right about that, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. Let’s help you work through this. Tell me what happened,” Lynn said. “When did she leave you?”

  Jeffrey moaned lightly. He was shifting in his seat. “The day after we were here last time. We had a huge fight when we got home, and then she packed her bags and left. She said she went to her mother’s place, but I called there later when she wasn’t picking up her phone, and her mom said she wasn’t there. I haven’t spoken to her since that day. I keep calling her, but she doesn’t pick up. It’s driving me nuts.”

  “Okay,” Lynn said. “So, you think she might be with another man?”

  Jeffrey’s head jolted upright, and he stared at her. “Why? Do you think she is?”

  Lynn took a deep breath.

  His head slumped. “Of course not. You have no way of knowing that. I just… I always suspected that she might be seeing someone else.”

  “So, there’s a jealousy matter there,” Lynn said, squinting her eyes at him. “Is that something you’d like to work on? In our future sessions?”

  Jeffrey glared at her. “You mean that? I can come back even if she’s not with me?”

  “Absolutely.”

  He sighed and leaned back, a look of relief on his face.

  “Thank you, Doc. You have no clue how much that means to me. I felt like I was going to die this past week. I know I can talk to you. I feel like we have a real trust-thing going on here.”

  That made Lynn smile secretively. She felt that too, and she also felt that Jeffrey could be a good patient to work with, work through this break-up, while secretly suppressing that gnawing feeling inside of her that her motives for taking him on weren’t as honorable as she made them out to be.

  Chapter 6

  “I’m giving Amy and the baby your room. So, you and Olivia will have to share a room from now on,” I said as I drove up into the driveway and killed the engine. “Olivia agreed to it if I promised to get her a new computer, so she shouldn’t give either of you a hard time.”

  A car I didn’t know was parked on the street outside my front yard, and I glared at it as I got out, wondering if Olivia had company. I slammed the car door shut, then went to the back to help Amy out with the baby in her arms. She had been in the hospital for two days and was ready to go home, which was now in my house.

  I held the door for Amy while she got out and carefully, holding the baby tightly, walked up to the house. Olivia came to the door as we walked up and held it open for us. I smiled at her and our eyes locked for a second. She grabbed me by the arm as I walked in.

  “Someone is here to see you.”

  I lifted my eyebrows. “Who?”

  She shrugged, annoyed. “How am I supposed to know? He’s in the kitchen talking to Matt.”

  “Christine, can you show Amy to her room?” I asked. “Olivia, you help them too.”

  Olivia smiled and looked at the baby in Amy’s arms. “Oh, my God. He’s so tiny. And cute.”

  “Don’t get any ideas,” I said to her.

  She stuck her tongue out at me when Alex, my seven-year-old son, came tumbling down the stairs.

  “Mo-o-o-om, Mo-o-om!”

  He ran toward me and bumped into my stomach head-first like a bull.

  “See,” I said. “This is what they turn into eventually.”

  I grabbed him and lifted him, even though he was a little too heavy for me. Then, I kissed his nose.

  “What’s up, buddy?”

  He leaned his head on my chest. “I just missed you, is all.”

  I held him tight.

  “Do you have a name for him yet?” Olivia asked Amy as they walked to the stairs. I had been busy the past two days, rearranging Christine’s room into a nursery. I was pretty proud of my accomplishments and running on only a few hours of sleep since Angel kept waking me up every two hours. But I had experience enough to know it was only temporary.

  “I was thinking about Owen,” I heard Amy answer on her way up. I smiled, feeling pretty good about myself for helping her out this way, even though I knew it would be tight in our little house. Matt was very skeptical still, but I was hoping to get him onboard eventually. The last thing I wanted was for Amy to end up in some foster care and risk being separated from her baby. I couldn’t live with myself if anything like that happened. I had assisted at her birth, which gave me some sort of attachment that I couldn’t just let go of. You could say I felt responsible for the girl. After all, we were supposed to help out where we could. That had always been my mantra in life. Yes, it meant the girls had to squeeze together and that there would be two crying babies in the house instead of just the one, but so what? If anyone could do it, it was us.

  I heard Angel cry, then walked into the kitchen where Matt was sitting with her, holding her on his arm, trying to feed her the bottle. The sight made my knees soft.

  “There she is,” Matt said.

  I turned to look at who he was talking to. My smile stiffened as I laid eyes upon him, and suddenly all I wanted to do was turn around and run.

  Chapter 7

  “S-Scott?”

  I put down my purse, my heart racing in my chest. I could barely look at the man. He was so handsome, sitting there on the stool, a cup of coffee in front of him. I was suddenly very aware that I hadn’t showered in two days and was wearing no make-up. My hair was up in a ponytail, so you couldn’t see how greasy it was. I was wearing sweatpants and
a T-shirt I hadn’t even looked at before putting it on this morning in the darkness, afraid I might wake up Angel, who finally fell asleep around seven when I had to get the older kids ready for school.

  He smiled. I had forgotten that teeth could be so straight and pearly white. Didn’t this man age or drink coffee that would stain his teeth?

  It wasn’t fair.

  A few strands of gray on the sides of his head told me he had, after all, aged, but they looked good on him, a little too good.

  “Eva Rae.”

  He got up, opened his arms, and pulled me into a deep hug.

  “Okay, we’re doing that now,” I mumbled as I felt his arms around me. I blushed and tried to avoid his eyes as he let go of me.

  “How have you been?” he asked, trying to catch my eye. “It’s been ages.”

  I lifted my gaze, and our eyes locked, even though I tried not to. “You look great. Really great.”

  Again, I blushed, and I worried Matt would see it, so I looked at him instead and then at our beautiful baby.

  “Thanks, I am great, actually. Life is good.”

  “Sure looks like it. You got the house full. Lucky you. And you and Matt are a couple now, huh? That’s amazing.”

  I nodded, my eyes still avoiding his. I reached out my hands to take Angel, and Matt gave her to me. Feeling her close to my chest again made me calmer. She was dozing off in my arms.

  “So… Scott? What brings you here?” I asked, puzzled. Being in his presence made me nervous, and I kind of felt like I was a teenager again. It wasn’t a comfortable feeling, that’s for sure.

  Scott’s expression changed to a serious one. He sat back down. “As I was just telling Matt, I’ve come because I’m in trouble.”

  I rocked Angel from side to side, looking down at her beautiful face, then back up at Scott.